I served as an officer in the army. Can I use it to negotiate for higher salary in my first job?

I applied to this job in a manufacturing firm and my job role is more business related. After clearing the interviews, they told me they are keen to hire me and I am keen to join them too. They will be discussing salary and HR matters in a few days time. After gathering some info, this company pays additional increments for NS experience although it is not civil service or defence/ military related. I want to use my officer background to ask for higher pay. The reasons I can think of are

1. Only a minority and better performing NSFs gets selected to OCS. Being able to complete officer training demonstrates resilience and commitment.

2. As an officer, I learned leadership skills, organizational skills, management skills, planning skills etc which can also be applied in corporate world.

3. An officer held bigger responsibilities than the average soldier.

4. An officer is generally fitter than the average guy.

Are these reasons strong enough to ask for a higher salary? If not, what else should I do?

Netizens’ comments

• Of course you can bro! Then when you enter the office the intern will shout OFFICE TIAM, then salute you and report strength every morning.
  Then when the office toilet no more toilet paper you can make the cleaner sign 7 extra and do guard duty with the broomstick outside the cubicle.
  Then every morning you can make everyone stand outside office recite SAF core values and half full kopi drink up before anyone can enter.
  I think your job interview you also just camo on and wear FBO go down and show them you mean business.
• lol officer in NS honestly don’t mean jack s—… even officers have lousy leadership skills. Also doesn’t mean you are officer you are fitter, your mindset kinda messed up isn’t it? Only benefit you can leverage as an officer is your planning and management skills at a leader level, but that mindset of I was an officer I am above all mindset will get you in trouble sooner or later…
• And ur rank is bulletproof.
  Shoot other rank will die, your’s won’t.
  U have failed as officer to understand that every ranks plays a part in a successful operation.

I am in my twenties, and I feel tempted by my wealthy and handsome boss. He has recently purchased a BMW sports car and has been trying to seduce me with it.

I have never been surrounded by such wealth and luxury before, and it feels like a dream come true.

I have a boyfriend, and although he is not poor, he will never be able to afford a sports car. My boss has made it clear that he wants me to be his, and he is willing to invest in me to make it happen. He has already bought me expensive gifts, taken me on luxurious dates and filled my head with promises of a life of ease and wealth.

I know I should not be tempted by my boss’s wealth and luxury, but it’s hard to ignore. He is always around, driving his fancy car and displaying his wealth. He is also very charming, and I can’t help but feel flattered by his attention and admiration.

I am also aware of how much my boyfriend loves me, and I feel guilty for even considering my boss’s advances. We have been together for several years, and I know he would do anything for me. But he can’t give me the kind of life my boss is offering.

My boyfriend works hard, and he is doing his best to provide for us. But he will never be able to afford a BMW sports car. I know I shouldn’t compare my boyfriend to my boss, but I can’t help but feel a little jealous of my boss’s wealth and success.

should I give in to my boss’s seduction and take a chance on a life of luxury and ease, or stay with my boyfriend who loves me and works hard to provide for us?

I know I need to make the right decision for my future, but in the end, it comes down to what is best for me and my relationship. I know I should be grateful for everything my boyfriend gives me, and I know I need to stay true to him.

But at the same time, I can’t help but feel tempted by my boss’s wealth and luxury. I know I need to be strong and resist his advances, or else risk losing the man I love. After all, money can’t buy happiness.

A reader who is presumably a former insurance agent, shared how he found a loophole to claim free insurance payouts via travel insurance from insurance companies.

Disclaimer: 
The following account was sent in by an anonymous reader. 

Insurance fraud is a serious offence in Singapore and persons found guilty of committing insurance fraud and/or cheating offences, face a jail term of up to 3 years and/or a fine.

Reader discretion is advised.

Here is the story

“Many years ago, I used to be an insurance agent, and I was not exactly very good at my job, struggling to make ends meet despite all the promises of success by my mentor, who gave me the illusion that joining the industry would one day lead me to driving sports cars and wearing fancy watches like him.

So as a result, I turned to the dark side and found a loophole where I can claim insurance payouts for free, via travel insurance.

All I had to do was buy a travel insurance plan and go overseas for my holiday, somewhere where the police is a little corrupted like Bangkok.

Then with my travel insurance in hand, I would go to the Thai police and make a police report that I was robbed and that I had lost all of my belongings and valuables.

I would mention things like I lost my Rolex, my iPhone, laptop etc, and because the police can’t really speak very fluent English, the process is much easier.

And back in the day, the police really DGAF and they wouldn’t do anything about it despite telling you that they would look into it.

So once I got the police report, I would submit it to another insurance agent to claim from my travel insurance, and they wouldn’t know any better.

And the good thing is, most of the time, my travel insurance claims would go through and I would get the money.

Nowadays it doesn’t work anymore, and I was eventually caught for my travel insurance scam and cheating and spent time in jail, and my career in the financial industry was pretty much over.

Every day inside jail I would reflect on myself and regret what I have done, letting all my family and friends down and having this reputation of being a scammer.

Even on the day I was released from prison, none of my family and friends came to pick me up because they were so disappointed in me.

I am now on the mend and working to better myself, working as a delivery driver and slowly getting my life back together.

Thank you for reading.

Images source: Unsplash and Singapore Uncensored file photo.

Foreign wife refuses to work and keeps requesting for more money

My wife is a foreigner. Before we ROM in 2021, she threatened to leave me if I refused to marry her. I told her I am not financially stable as I have to support a bedridden father (with no savings or insurancd of his own) and my retired elderly mother. I agreed to ROM because I did not want to lose her.

Ever since my wife moved here in early 2021, my dad’s condition became worse and require a live-in helper. My wife came at a time when the border had restricted opening. She got a fever in the quarantine and was admitted to NCID for 5 days. The bill came up to more than 5k.

My take home pay is less than 4k. I give about 1.5k to my parents. My HDB mortgage is more than 1.1k a month. I spend the rest on bills, insurance, living expenses for both of us. My monthly budget is really tight.

However, my wife does not seem motivated to work. She took up a job which she quit in less than a week, and another job in less than 2 months. She kept all the money she earned to herself and continued to rely on me for support.

She has stomach and indigestion issues, which she claims is so bad that she is unable to work. I brought her to do an endoscopy at the recommendation of the GP, and was unable to claim insurance as the insurance company says its a pre-existing issue. I incurred 6k for her medical expenses. The results show was nothing wrong with her stomach.

She went jobless for a few more months. When the border opened in June, I agreed to let her go back to her parents home first. She went back to her country and did a colonoscopy as it was expensive to do so. The results show that her colon is fine.

She claims that her indigestion issues were much improved after returning to her country. She was able to work on her parents farm without issues.

My wife has been pestering me to meet her parents since last year. I agreed to meet him next week. Now, her dad is demanding me to meet him and pay a dowry of 8k to 12k for the customary wedding. I asked my wife to negotiate the price down and she said she can’t because she needs to save her parents face. I agreed but asked her to find a job once she comes back with me to Singapore. I told her that she has to find a job to support her parents because I don’t have the means to do so. Her parents had asked me to pay for other things aside from the dowry.

That upset her and she said she wants a separation. She said she can work in her father’s farm and make money. I am really puzzled why she refuses to look for a job here.

I am really stressed up with money and yet she does not seem to care. My wife has a bad temper and picks a quarrel over the smallest issue. I have been giving in to her on everything and this is making me very unhappy.

Should I divorce her?

I was once a successful entrepreneur, with a happy and contented family life. I had a great job, two beautiful kids and a beautiful wife. Life was good and I was blessed with a comfortable and happy life.

However, in the last few years, my life took a turn for the worse. My business failed and I was retrenched. To make matters worse, my wife passed away suddenly and my savings were wiped out by a bad investment.

I was lost. I had no job, no money and no family. I felt like the world had abandoned me. My self-esteem and confidence took a beating and I was left feeling helpless and hopeless.

I was broken. I had no idea what to do or where to turn. I felt like I had no purpose in life. I was so lost that I didn’t even know where to begin. I was stuck in a rut and I couldn’t seem to find a way out.

I felt like I was at a crossroads. I had two choices: I could either stay in the same position I was in or I could take a chance and start anew.

I decided to take a chance. I decided to start over. I sold all my possessions and used the money to start a small business. I knew it was a risk, but I was willing to take it. I was determined to make a fresh start and build a new life for myself.

I put all my effort into my business and it paid off. I was successful and my business flourished. I was able to rebuild my savings and eventually, I was able to purchase a small home.

I was able to find joy and contentment within myself. I was able to create a life that I could be proud of. I was able to start over and have a new beginning.

It was my child that was the motivation to bring me back on my feet, to give them a good life.

If you are ever in a situation like me, please please think about your love ones. There is nothing more important than family.

A netizen shared how his girlfriend, who is working as an insurance agent with an unspecified insurance company, is draining him of his savings and making him pay off her parents’ house loan.

Here is the full story

“I am in my mid-30s and was planning to propose to my girlfriend, but I’m now thinking twice because I have seen so many red flags.

We have been together since we were university students, but she changed so much after joining the insurance industry, it’s like she’s a different person altogether now.

She is one of those who post about “working hard and playing hard” online, always flaunting off her branded bags and watches and those insurance gala events wearing expensive dresses and sipping expensive alcohol, sharing videos of herself having holidays in Europe and posting motivational quotes about “working hard” to be rewarded.

But little did people know that I am the one who paid for most of her s—.

She started spiralling into an indomitable vacuum of greed and spent money that she simply did not have, even buying a Merc for her parents because she thought she was financially well to do.

She made my whole entire family buy expensive insurance plans from her, and now she is even making me shoulder the responsibility of her parents’ HDB loan.

I don’t partake in drinking or smoking nor do I have any hobbies that are considered expensive, and all the money that I have saved up over the years from working as a logistics manager has been almost fully exhausted on her and her family.

She was a completely different person from before she became an insurance agent, and I don’t recognise this person anymore.

I have two paths right now, continue being used by her or leave her to restart my life. The answer is very simple, but why is it so hard for me to leave her?

Advice please. appreciate it.”

Editors’ note: Just rip the bandaid off.

Source: Aiden Ng